New Tax Collector Office to Be Located on U.S. 27 Near I-4

Published: Friday, October 11, 2013 at 3:40 p.m.

Last Modified: Friday, October 11, 2013 at 3:40 p.m.

BARTOW | A new $3.5 million tax collector and driver license office to serve northeast Polk County will be located near Interstate 4 and U.S. 27, Polk County Tax Collector Joe Tedder announced Friday.

Tedder said the decision ends a two-year search for a new office to accommodate growth and the transfer of driver license services to his office.

The tentative schedule calls for the new office to open next fall.

Tedder said although the site is farther north than he desired — he also looked at sites in Haines City and Davenport — he thinks it will serve the area's growth as new road projects underway will connect more residents to the new office site.

Tedder said he decided to increase the size of the new office from 13,000 square feet to 17,000 square feet to accommodate long-term growth.

The office, which will be called the Ridge Tax Collector Service Center, will be located in a shopping center at Deer Creek Boulevard and U.S. 27.

"The citizens will be served well,'' he said.

Tedder said the new office on Massachusetts Avenue in Lakeland is scheduled to open in mid-November.

He said the office will begin taking over driver license operations in early Decem­ber.

Tedder's offices have to have room for people taking driver tests, people waiting to get licenses or to renew licenses and secure areas for the equipment used to make driver licenses.

<p>BARTOW | A new $3.5 million tax collector and driver license office to serve northeast Polk County will be located near Interstate 4 and U.S. 27, Polk County Tax Collector Joe Tedder announced Friday.</p><p>Tedder said the decision ends a two-year search for a new office to accommodate growth and the transfer of driver license services to his office.</p><p>The tentative schedule calls for the new office to open next fall.</p><p>Tedder said although the site is farther north than he desired — he also looked at sites in Haines City and Davenport — he thinks it will serve the area's growth as new road projects underway will connect more residents to the new office site.</p><p>Tedder said he decided to increase the size of the new office from 13,000 square feet to 17,000 square feet to accommodate long-term growth.</p><p>The office, which will be called the Ridge Tax Collector Service Center, will be located in a shopping center at Deer Creek Boulevard and U.S. 27.</p><p>"The citizens will be served well,'' he said.</p><p>Tedder said the new office on Massachusetts Avenue in Lakeland is scheduled to open in mid-November.</p><p>He said the office will begin taking over driver license operations in early Decem­ber.</p><p>Tedder's offices have to have room for people taking driver tests, people waiting to get licenses or to renew licenses and secure areas for the equipment used to make driver licenses.</p>